Murderer Asks Parole Board for Early Release But They Add 20 Years To His Sentence Instead

A murderer serving three life terms for killing three people saw two more decades added to his sentence after a Washington State parole board considering his request for early release felt his crimes called for a harsher punishment.

Timothy Pauley, 57, went before the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board to convince them his behavior behind bars over the past 35 years should earn him an early release from prison, the Seattle Times reported.

The board—an arm of the state Department of Corrections—not only denied Pauley’s request, but added more than 20 years to his sentence for his “egregious” role in three 1980 murders at a SeaTac tavern.

“Mr. Pauley’s role in the murders was egregious,” the board said in a statement.

Pauley was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentences for two of the counts are to run consecutively. Pauley entered prison in 1981 and— with time off his sentence for good behavior— finished his first murder term in 1999.

While in prison, Pauley has been a relatively trouble-free inmate, according to reports. He has regularly worked, attended school, mentored other inmates and participated in religious activities, according to testimony during a board hearing in January.

If the board had agreed to reduce his sentence, Pauley could have been freed as early as February 2018. His early release was opposed by relatives of the victims, as well as King County Prosecutor Dan Satterbeg and Congressman Dave Reichert, who investigated the murders as a detective with the Kings County sheriff’s office.